Signal device



Jamo 3, 1950 fl, BERRY 2,493,437

SIGNAL DEVICE Fud 0m. 11 1946.

Patented Jan. 3, 1950 sIG AiF nEvIoE Howard L.-Berry,z.Schenectady, N. Y. Application"dctoberil, 1946, Serial 102,774

My invention relates to 'signa'lin'g devices and particularly-to devices"of this character for use in connection with-*acountin'g" or measuring" trated.

mechanismksuch as an odometer; for giving visible signal when a predetermined 'number' of units has been countedor'measuredh All present day 'automobiles'are equipped-with a speedometer in which is-embodied amileag'e meter," or odometer, for indicating 'th'e total mileage which the' vehicle has traveled." "Such odometers are merely countersofthe well known type which comprises a plu'rality of coaxiall'y disposed disks; eachhavingth'e' numerals '0 to 9, inclusive, circumfe rejntially "arranged thereon, and which"are 'operatively' connectedtogether and to the transmission of thev'ehiclefby'suitable gearing, and"calib r'ated to indicate the mileage traveled by saidvehicle. 1

there is usuallyno diskindicatingtenthsOf-miles on the totalizing portion, 'andjthere' are usually but five disks adaptedto indicatemileages up toi i 99,999 miles without repeatingfi 'Thus'jthe disk} Most motor vehicles,according'.tov the 'manu-' tegral with or otherwise securedtothe-band H' hicle odometers and I shall describe my invention in connection'therewith, it will be" perfectly obvious that the device "may be applied to any counter. of the odometer'ty'pefor indicating when.

any eventen, hundred; thousand, of ten thousand units have been counted;

Referring to: the drawing:

Fig. '1 is a front elevation" 'view of a speedometer with the numerals and the hand indicating the speed omitted but showing both a totalizing odometer and a trip odometer;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation view of the speedometer with a portion of the face of the device in front of the totalizing odometer broken away to show details of my attachment;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary section of Fig. 2 in the plane 3-3 with portions broken away, and portions which have nothing to do with my invention omitted;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan view partially in section with parts broken away as viewed through the plane 4-4 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the signaling means.

Referring to the drawings:

l is the casing of the speedometer in which a plurality of cylindrical disks 2 are rotatably 4 Claims." (01. 116-414) mounted on a-horizontal shaft 3 to form =a-total- Y izing odometer, the detailed=ccnstruction ofjwhich is wellknow-n'in the art, and therefore is not ill-us- Where the odometer isequipped with a trip portion, as-inthe case ofthe speedometerillustrated,

is the unit disk, 5 is the tens disk; 6-is thehundreds disk, I is the thousands disk, and"8is-the tens of thousands disk. The odometeris ordinarily con; ceale'd by afront plate 9'except for a window IQ therein'through which the fmileage' indicated by, 1 the odometer-may bejreadr I V My signaling device comprisesan arcuatezband ll, preferablyybut not necessarilyof metal, and 1' preferably provided. with 'a linin-g 12, such as a:

fabric, and which isadapte'dtojextend partially around and frictionally .to engage one of the disks J I of theodometer. [In Figs'.}2an d 4/theband is shown as engaging .the thousands disk ,1." In:

isthe strip l3, which maybecolored, orlmay carry on its face the Word ,Greasedorsome other' suit able designation,- and which is 'Qfa-length-adapting itto be readily ,noticed whenlbehind the window 10, as shown in Fig.2. Theio.ther end of the band H is bent upwardlyto formia-radially extending'projection I4..Smallfin'gers l5adapted to extend over the ends of the disk "assembly may be providedonthe e'ndofthe strip-J3 if desired but are notactually necessary. Since the band ll' frictionally engage he tl 1ou's ands, disk fl,v it will be apparent that each time the thousands disk moves, as in changing its reading from 2 to 3 thousand, the band H and the strip l3 will be carried with it and move of a complete revolution.

Freely rotatable on the shaft 3 is a crank [6, the free end of which is perforated to receive the hooked end I! of the resetting lever I8 which extends through the back of the casing I, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The lever I8 is normally held in the position shown in Fig. 3 by means of the light spring I9 which is compressed between the outside back of the casing and the knob 20 which is provided on the end of the resetting lever I8 for manipulating the same. A stop 2| may be provided on the lever 18, if desired. When the lever I8 is pushed inwardly the hooked end I! thereof cooperates with the projection M to slide the band ll around the disk 1 to the position shown at I4 in Fig. 3. This pushes the strip l3 downwardly around the disk 1 so that it is no longer visible through the window l0, and, to insure that the strip is moved backwardly only one unit, some movement limiting means, such as the stop 2| (see Fig. 4) on the lever 18, may be provided. However, when the thousands disk moves one unit upwardly, it carries the band II and the strip I3 with it and brings the signal Grease up into view through the window 10, as shown in Fig. 2.

While I have shown the band II as frictionally driven by the thousands disk, it is obvious that it might be driven by any of the disks depending upon the mileage interval desired between the appearances of the signal. By arranging the resetting mechanism so that the band I l, in resetting, is turned two or more units relative to the disk which drives it, the device can be arranged to have the signal appear only every two thousand or three thousand miles, as desired.

The lining I2 in the band ll serves not only to provide good frictional engagement of the band with the disk which drives it without scratching the face of the disk, but also to maintain the strip [3 in slightly radially spaced relation to the other disks so that the strip I3 does not interfere with the turning thereof, nor does the turning of the other disks afiect the strip l3; it being understood that the fingers l5 at the ends of the strip l3 merely extend over the edge of the disk assembly but do not contact said edge.

What I claim is- 1. A signal device comprising a resilient, arcuate band adapted to be slipped over and frictionally to engage the exterior surface of one of the rotatable mileage indicating disks of an odometer throughout a circumferential portion of said disk substantially in excess of 180 but substantially less than 360; whereby said band will be rotated when said disk is rotated; and a signal carrying arm attached to said band adjacent one end thereof and extending therefrom substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of said disk when said band is secured to said disk.

2. The combination with an odometer comprising a casing having a plurality of coaxially-disposed disks rotatably mounted therein and having circumferentially-spaced numerals from 0 to 9 inclusive, thereon for indicating the total mileage measured by said odometer in units, tens, hundreds, and thousands, and a window in said casing through which the total mileage indicated by said odometer may be read, of a resilient, arcuate band partially surrounding and frictionally engaging one of said disks; whereby it is adapted to move with said one disk and be moved relative to said one disk; a signal arm attached to said band; said arm being normally disposed adjacent said window in a position to be moved into view through said window when said one disk moves; and manually actuated means cooperating directly with said band for resetting said signal by moving said band relative to said one disk into its normal position aforesaid.

3. A signal device comprising a resilient, arcuate band adapted to be slipped over and frictionally to engage the exterior surface of one of the rotatable mileage indicating disks of an odometer throughout a circumferential portion of said disk substantially in excess of 180 but substantially less than 360, and having a signal indicating means thereon adjacent one end thereof; whereby said band will move when said disk moves, and also may be moved relative to said disk.

4. The combination with a counting device comprising a casing having a plurality of coaxially-disposed disks rotatably mounted therein and having circumferentially-disposed numerals from 0 to 9, inclusive, thereon for indicating the total counted by said device, and a window in said casing through which the total indicated by said counting device may be viewed, of a signaling means in said casing comprising a resilient, arcuate band surrounding and frictionally engaging that surface of one of said disks having said numerals thereon throughout a circumferential portion thereof substantially in excess of but less than will conceal all of said numerals; whereby, said band will rotate with said disk and may also be rotated relative to said disk; a signal on said band adjacent one end thereof, and a rod extending through said casing and cooperating directly with said band for moving said signal out of view to effect a resetting thereof after it has been brought into view through said window by a movement of said one disk.

HAROLD L. BERRY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the iile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,761,950 Zubaty June 3, 1930 1,872,838 Smith Aug. 23, 1932 1,891,335 Reisinger, Jr Dec. 30, 1932 1,948,946 Smith et a1 Feb. 27, 1984 2,180,613 Colee Sept. 20, 1938 2,253,827 Vinton Aug. 26, 1941 2,260,541 Schwenn Oct. 28, 1941 

